匣 (xiá) is a Chinese character meaning “a small box or case with a lid, used to hold things”. It is written from 匚 (right-open box) and 甲 (shell; armour; first of the ten heavenly stems), one enclosing the other, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “small box”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
匚 + 甲
Enclosing structure
Structure from: 说文解字：匣，匱也。从匚甲聲
Memory aid
An open-sided box frame (匚) wrapped around a hard shell (甲) — a shell tucked inside its case. Both parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 匣子xiá zismall box; case; casket匣 = xiá
- 话匣子huà xiá zichatterbox; someone who talks non-stop匣 = xiá
Go deeper
All readings
small box
a small box or case with a lid, used to hold things
有盖的小盒子，用来装东西。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 匣子xiá zismall box; case; casket匣 = xiá
- 话匣子huà xiá zichatterbox; someone who talks non-stop匣 = xiá
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 匣 mean?
匣 (xiá) means a small box or case with a lid, used to hold things.
How do you pronounce 匣?
It is pronounced xiá.
What parts is 匣 made of?
匚 (right-open box) and 甲 (shell; armour; first of the ten heavenly stems), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字：匣，匱也。从匚甲聲. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 匣 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 匣?
匚. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 匣?
Common ones are 匣子 and 话匣子. The reading of 匣 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.